Georgia State head coach Ron Hunter and son R.J. enjoyed Thursday evening being a part of the NCAA tournament broadcast on TBS. Coach Hunter spent Thursday evening and will do the same on Friday evening serving as a guest analyst for Sweet 16 games being played on TBS.

R.J. spent the first segment of Thursday night’s production on-set talking about Georgia State’s magical run in the NCAA tournament last week, including his 30-foot 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds remaining to cap an incredible comeback against No. 3-seed Baylor.

Following his stint on-set, R.J. enjoyed a tour of the studio, including a trip to the graphics room which had some fun with the junior while he was on-set (apparently they think R.J. looks like Prince).

Coach Hunter will be back on-set Friday evening beginning at 6 p.m. for the TBS pregame show before two more games on TBS. Hunter will also appear at halftime and post-game of each of the two games.

Fans can view a photo album above of some of the behind-the-scenes images.

It’s Gameday! Georgia State has been the talk of the nation all week, but now it is time to lace-them-up and play ball. There have been so many headlines: Ron and R.J.-the Father-Son combo; Kevin Ware returning to the NCAA tournament; Ryan Harrow and the most famous hamstring in sports; and then there is coach Hunter’s Achilles.

No. 14 Georgia State will face No. 3 Baylor at 1:40 p.m. ET live on TBS. You can also listen to the game on 680 The Fan and 93.7 FM with Dave Cohen and Brandon Leak calling the action.

You already know the team believes it can win and seeing what all of our fans have said this week, we know you believe we can win. So how often does a No. 14 beat a No. 3…more times that you think.

The InsideGSUSports blog has presented the Number of the Game all season and we plan to continue it for several weeks to come (you know where are heads are at).

The number will come from a variety of different places, but will always be significant to the team or that specific game.

Today’s Number of the Game:

18

The No. 18 represents how many times a No. 14 seed has topped a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. Wanna know the last time it happened? Just travel down I-75 last year as No. 14 Mercer topped No. 3 Duke. Maybe there is some in-state karma about being a No. 14 seed…we will find out soon.

We will be back with another Men’s Basketball Number of the Game on Saturday (I told you, we’ve got a feeling).

On the third Wednesday of every month (a day early this week), a member of the Facilities and Operations staff will give a behind-the-scenes look at what’s going on around its area and the department. Over the course of every month, each department will be featured at least once. Coming Wednesday: Communications

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This year St. Patrick’s Day is a busy day at Panthersville with both baseball and softball in action. The grounds crew decided to use this day to showcase off some of our creativity and join in on the festivities. In 2011 we had a baseball game against Harvard and painted the “GSU” behind home plate green and painted the bases green for the game. Both were big hits. Since then the NCAA has outlawed colored bases. We wanted to step it up a notch this year. We will again paint the “GSU” behind home plate green and add a few shamrocks around the logo and on the dirt behind the umpire at baseball. Our biggest splash will be a large 40’ by 60’ shamrock “watermark” in the softball outfield. Below is a step by step look at the process. For more pictures of our special preparations for St. Patrick’s Day like us on Facebook at “Georgia State Grounds Crew” or follow us on Twitter @GSUgrounds.

Photos 1 and 2: Layout logo on a paper with a grid. Measure and create grid on the field. When doing a large logo in the outfield we “stretch” the grid by making the vertical rows 1.5 times longer than the horizontal. We made the vertical rows 15’ and the horizontal 10’. If you don’t “stretch” the logo it will look bunched together from the stands.

Photos 3 and 4: Using paper grid as a reference use string to outline your logo.

Photos 5 and 6: Outline logo by hand with aerosol paint. Fill in rest of logo. We used our aerosol line painter going back and forth quickly to put down a light coat. We used a turf colored green to give us a natural “watermark” type look.

It’s Selection Sunday! It’s Sun Belt Championship Day! It’s #StateNotSouthern! It’s March Madness at its best! Today is a Sunday like no other Sunday’s during the year.

Georgia State will face Georgia Southern with an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament on the line at 1 p.m. ET live on ESPN2 in the Sun Belt championship game.

Winning a conference title is the subject of the Men’s Basketball Number of the Game, but before we get to that, here is today’s important information.

If you were not able to make it to New Orleans, you can either watch the game on ESPN2 or listen to 1340 The Fan 3 as Dave Cohen and Brandon Leak call the action. Free audio is also available on GeorgiaStateSports.com and the GSU mobile app.

The InsideGSUSports blog has presented the Number of the Game all season and we plan to continue it for several weeks to come (you know where are heads are at).

The number will come from a variety of different places, but will always be significant to the team or that specific game.

Today’s Number of the Game:

2

Decided to keep it simple today. The No. 2 represents the Panthers previous appearances in the NCAA tournament which came 10 years apart in 1991 and 2001.

We will be back with more Men’s Basketball Numbers of the Game later this week, so make sure to check back in with the InsideGSUSports blog to keep the fun rolling!

It’s Sun Belt tournament time! March Madness is officially here (though you could easily debate it was here a week ago when ‘The Team Down South’ game into the Sports Arena and the Panthers scored a 17-point victory to earn their second-straight conference title.

That conference title is the subject of the Men’s Basketball Number of the Game, but before we get to that, here is today’s important information.

The Panthers will face UL Lafayette on Saturday in a rematch of last year’s championship game at 2 p.m. ET from Lakefront Arena. If you were not able to make it to New Orleans, you can either watch the game on ESPN3 or listen to 680 The Fan as Dave Cohen and Brandon Leak call the action. Free audio is also available on GeorgiaStateSports.com and the GSU mobile app.

The InsideGSUSports blog has presented the Number of the Game all season and we plan to continue it for several weeks to come (you know where are heads are at).

The number will come from a variety of different places, but will always be significant to the team or that specific game.

Today’s Number of the Game:

5

With the win last week, Georgia State has won five conference regular season titles in school history, with all of them coming since the 1999-2000 season. Over that same stretch, the Panthers have had six 20-plus win seasons, not a bad little stretch over the last 15 years.

Make sure to come back to the InsideGSUSports blog on Sunday (yes, we plan to be playing tomorrow) as the Panthers look to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001.

During the month of March, athletic trainers across the country will be recognized for their commitment to helping people prevent injuries and stay healthy and active. Athletic trainers are health care professionals who are highly educated and dedicated to the job at hand. Athletic trainers can be found in high schools and colleges, corporations, professional sports, the military, performing arts and clinics, hospitals and physician offices.

At Georgia State, we are lucky to have an excellent staff of full-time and graduate assistant athletic trainers who take care of all of our student-athletes year-round. Fans may only see them on the sidelines at games, but this group can also be found at every practice as well, arriving early to give treatment to the student-athletes and staying late to make sure they are ready for the next game.

This year’s theme is “We Prepare-You Perform. “It focuses on the varied ways athletic trainers prepare for anything and everything so their athletes, patients, performers, etc., do not have to worry about anything but performing at their best.

Show your support by “liking” the National Athletic Training Month 2015 Facebook page or tweet a favorite moment where your Georgia State Athletic Trainer prepared you to perform. Pictures are encouraged. Make sure you add the hashtag #natm2015.

On the second Wednesday of every month (or a day late this month), a member of the Compliance staff will give a behind-the-scenes look at what’s going on around its area and the department. Over the course of every month, each department will be featured at least once. Coming Monday: Communications

Prior to 2013, the NCAA incurred an increasing amount of criticism that served to weaken the credibility of the organization’s enforcement practices. Detractors claimed the system failed to incentivize institutions and their personnel, particularly coaches, to encourage compliance with NCAA regulations. They argued that the inconsistent results of infractions and the lack of predictability regarding penalties undermined the entire process. Partly in response to these concerns, in August 2013, the Association instituted sweeping changes to the process by which alleged infractions are processed. This legislative reform sought to enhance fairness, and allow institutions more input and control regarding the enforcement process.

Before detailing the modifications to the enforcement process, it is necessary to examine the framework of the previous system. Prior to August 2013, the NCAA’s enforcement mechanism classified violations as either “major” or “secondary.” Secondary violations were infractions that “intended to provide only a minimal recruiting or competitive advantage.” Secondary violations were subdivided into Level I and Level II depending on their seriousness. Examples of Level I violations under the old system include engaging in impermissible contact with a prospective student-athlete (PSA), and providing impermissible transportation during a PSA’s on-campus visit. Level II violations were considered minor infractions and, therefore, processed at the conference level rather than through the national office. An example of a Level II violation would be an institution failing to adhere to size restrictions of printed recruiting materials. Under the previous enforcement structure, a major violation was classified as any infraction that was not isolated or inadvertent.

The post-August 2013 enforcement structure made significant changes to the violation component of the NCAA’s enforcement process. The classification of violations as secondary or minor was abandoned in favor of classifications identified by Levels I through IV. Under the new violation structure, Level I violations involve a “serious breach of conduct” and are intended to encompass the most severe rule violations – examples include academic fraud, failure to cooperate with an NCAA investigation, unethical conduct, failure by a head coach to monitor the activities of assistant coaches, and cash inducements to student-athletes.

Level II violations encompass infractions that result in a moderate recruiting or competitive advantage. Examples include providing impermissible benefits that are more than minimal but less than substantial, an institutional failure to monitor (unless egregious) and systemic violations that fall short of a lack of institutional control. Level III violations involve behaviors that are isolated or limited and provide only a minimal recruiting or competitive advantage, or impermissible benefit. Examples include off-campus contact with a PSA during a dead period, and using impermissible recruiting aids such as game-day simulations. Level IV violations, or “incidental infractions” are violations of a technical nature that do not affect a student-athlete’s eligibility to participate in competition. Similar to secondary violations under the old enforcement structure, Level IV violations are adjudicated at the conference level. An example is inadvertently failing to sign a squad list.

In addition to redefining the tiers of alleged violations, the NCAA also developed a new penalty structure aimed at producing more consistent results. The Association’s new enforcement structure consists of six core penalties: postseason competition bans; financial penalties, including postseason revenue; reducing athletic scholarships; limiting recruiting activities; issuing show-cause orders, which direct member institutions to take action against a particular staff member, coach or booster; and probation.

The new structure includes a framework that allows for the prescribed penalties to be adjusted depending on aggravating or mitigating circumstances. Examples of aggravating factors include a history of major (Level I and/or Level II) violations by the institution, a lack of institutional control, and unethical conduct. Conversely, examples of mitigating circumstances include timely self-disclosure of the violation, undertaking corrective action, and fully cooperating with the NCAA investigation.

One major consequence of the revised enforcement structure is the increased scrutiny of head coaches. A new provision creates a presumption that the head coach is responsible for the actions of his or her subordinates. Therefore, not only can head coaches be suspended for committing violations, but they are also subject to suspensions for violations committed by their assistant coaches and other support personnel. Although this policy has proved controversial, the NCAA’s intent was to hold head coaches accountable for maintaining control over their athletics program. It should be noted that suspensions are not automatic; rather, all instances are handled on a case-by-case basis.

Another major takeaway of the new enforcement structure is the emphasis on the shared responsibility of all representatives of NCAA member institutions. Institutions are charged with undertaking whatever actions are necessary to appropriately monitor the conduct of its constituents to ensure compliance. The new enforcement structure imposes an affirmative obligation on institutions to assume responsibility for compliance, take corrective action and cooperate with the NCAA enforcement staff. It is clear that the bar has been raised in terms of the extent to which an institution must now engage in these efforts to meet and properly fulfill its compliance responsibilities.

To date, Georgia State has never committed a major violation. The responsibility to continue this unblemished record falls not only on the compliance staff but also on each and every GSU student-athlete, coach, institutional staff member, booster and representative. Collectively, every individual associated with Panther athletics must make every reasonable effort to ensure compliance with NCAA rules, and, in doing so, continue to uphold the integrity of the University.

At the end of January, Georgia State sent a group of five from the athletics department to Indianapolis to participate in the NCAA’s Emerging Leaders Seminar. Among the 200 young athletics administrators and coaches – across all three NCAA divisions – at the start of their professional careers were GSU graduate assistants Bree Hicken (academic support), Thomas Howard (facilities), Gina Knutson (facilities), Rishawn Marshall (academic support) and Tyler Rosenberger (compliance).

The purpose of the seminar, according to a NCAA release, was to build “leadership awareness and a broadened perspective of intercollegiate athletics.” The hope was to gain valuable insight to help structure the next steps in their careers.

From the sounds of it, despite many being leery at the start, the goal was met – and even exceeded.

“It was actually really impressive. It was really inspiring,” Hicken said. “It helped you see other people in these roles and learn ‘This is where I started from, this is where I am.’

“We know we’re here for the student-athletes, and to hear other people say the same thing and have the same passion, it makes you want to be part of that group.”

Going into the three-day conference, Knutson had no idea what to expect. She wasn’t sure it would be worth the time. She too came away with a much broader appreciation for her career choice.

“It was phenomenal. We met so many great people from all over the place,” Knutson said. “Everyone had their own experience, own story, and learned off other people’s experiences.”

Both Hicken and Knutson enjoyed the DiSC personality test that helped them understand how to deal with others better. The idea of better understanding what other areas do outside of their specific path also resonated.

“We may be in facilities, but we need to know, learn how communications does things every day, how marketing works, all the areas,” Knutson said. “It’s important to know the whole globe of athletics and how others work in order to be successful. They showed us how you want to try to understand everyone else’s issues.”

On the second Monday of every month, a member of the Ticketing staff will give a behind-the-scenes look at what’s going on around its area and the department. Over the course of every month, each department will be featured at least once. Coming Wednesday: Compliance

2015 Georgia State Basketball NCAA Postseason Ticket Request

Are you interested in attending any NCAA postseason basketball tournament rounds Georgia State may play in? Click here and follow the instructions to fill out your ticket request form today!

Panther Athletic Club donors and/or Men’s Basketball season ticket holders will receive first priority. Send your ticket request form via email to tickets@gsu.edu or fax (404-413-4030). Requests must be received by Friday, March 13.

Should Georgia State not get selected to the NCAA Tournament, please check www.GeorgiaStateSports.com for post season information.

This is it. One more regular season game for all the marbles as they say. Georgia State vs. Georgia Southern. GSU vs. GS. Panthers vs. Eagles. #StateNotSouthern vs. #SouthernNotState. And if the whole in-state rivalry wasn’t enough, let’s throw in that the winner earns the Sun Belt regular season championship, No. 1 seed in the conference tournament next week and will know that they will get to play in the postseason.

If you have your ticket already, we look forward to seeing you in the Sports Arena this afternoon. If you don’t, you can still watch on PantherVision HD or listen live to Dave Cohen, Rodney Turner and Brandon Leak call the action on 1340 The Fan 3 or on the GSU mobile apps.

It has been a remarkable season. I thought long and hard about the many different numbers that I could use today, but came up with the only one that I really thought that mattered.

As you know, running through the entire season, the InsideGSUSports blog will present the Number of the Game, a quick number and explanation of its significance before tip-off.

The number will come from a variety of different places, but will always be significant to the team or that specific game.

Today’s Number of the Game:

12

What does the No. 12 represent? That is the number of Georgia State Panthers who will dress today and so for the final regular season game, I thought I would give them one more shout-out.